I'll Stand By You
by Lady Dudley
Summary: This has probably been done before, but this is an Eric/Pam AU to Season 4.
1. Pretty Woman

**A/N: This is a little something I have been working on in the background, but from some of the responses I had to "Enjoy The Silence" it sounds like some of you need this as much as I do. So, I have decided to break one of my rules and post something I'm still working on (I'm always scared I won't finish, but I will try very hard to do so now!). It is basically an AU to Season 4 based around Eric being with Pam instead of Sookie with his amnesia. I will try and update at least once a week, maybe more often. Let me know if there's anything from the series you'd liked to see 'fixed' :) Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
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_**I'll Stand By You**  
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The moment she turned and saw him watching her, she knew that something was wrong.

In the first place he was only wearing jeans, not that she minded the view but it was odd for him to not be immaculately attired – she saw to that.

In the second place he was looking at her as though he was seeing her for the first time.

Although she enjoyed the obvious admiration in his appraising look, she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Like what you see?" she teased giving him a better view of her attire…or lack thereof, trying to squelch her discomfort with their usual banter.

"Very much," he replied honestly.

His response gave her pause, not because of its content, but because it was genuine: no innuendo or hidden meanings of any kind, just his honest opinion.

This was not how they usually played this game.

She reached out through their bond and he shifted uncertainly, "What are you doing?" he asked, looking almost frightened.

His response told her all she needed to know.

"Do you know who I am?"

"No," he replied.

She swore under her breath, but otherwise maintained her calm façade, "Do you know who you are?"

"…No," he replied again.

"You are Eric Northman, a vampire-" she began but he cut her off.

"I know what I am," he snapped, before looking contrite, "sorry," he murmured. Her eyes widened in surprise, "You were going to tell me your name," he prompted.

"Pam," she replied quickly, still recovering from her shock. There were times when she didn't think Eric even knew the word 'sorry' let alone would ever use it.

"We are linked?" he asked carefully.

"Yes…you're my Maker," she told him.

A ghost of a smile crossed Eric's lips, "Then you are mine."

"I have to get you out of here," she said suddenly as the implications of his apparent amnesia sank in.

"But I don't want to leave you," he protested.

"Eric-"

"Please, Pam, just for tonight?" he begged, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

"Fine," she conceded finally, albeit clearly unwilling, "one night," she stipulated.

"You won't regret it," he promised her, kissing her hand in gratitude.

Pam tried not to think about the last time he had kissed her hand, "Oh I'm sure I will," she said drily as she broke away from him.


	2. Something Stupid

Pam still wasn't entirely sure how her 'one night' stipulation had been extended to the current running total of a week, but she wasn't completely oblivious as to the why.

On the one hand she rather enjoyed having him around with her exclusively; it was almost like the old days. Whilst on the other hand, Eric refused to leave her.

He claimed it was because she was the only one he trusted, but she could sense through their bond that it ran deeper than that. She already knew from her first encounter with the amnesiac Eric that he found her attractive, now it seemed that he was simply enjoying the knowledge that she was his.

For her part, she was completely unable to turn him out. Even though there were many who would attest otherwise, she simply didn't have the heart to do so.

Not to him.

So that was how, almost a week later, she found herself watching a chick flick with her Maker; something she couldn't remember doing with him – _ever._

"There is something I would like to ask you," he began, partway through the movie, still looking steadfastly ahead.

Pam looked down from her position on the couch to where he sat on the floor, leaning against the same couch. "Yes?"

"Do I love you?"

"In your own way," she replied, startled by the question.

He looked thoughtful for a moment; Pam cocked her head to the side as she waited for his next question. She wasn't disappointed.

"Do you love me?"

"In my own way," she replied smoothly.

She had thought he might continue, but he lapsed into silence after that, although she knew he wasn't paying much attention to the movie.

"I imagine it was not my way in the past," he began, startling Pam from her own thoughts almost an hour later, "but I love you."

Pam could count on one hand the number of times Eric had told her that, but something about the way he said them now, with such sincerity even though he barely knew her, touched her deeply.

But the moment was bittersweet as she doubted that when he regained his memory (and she refused to accept any other outcome) he would even remember this moment.

"I love you too," she replied anyway because, no matter what, she could never lie to him.

The quick half smile he shot in her direction and the rush of pleasure she felt through their bond was all the reward she needed for her little confession.


	3. As Long As He Needs Me

Pam was still smirking to herself over outsmarting Bill when she came to find Eric.

She was eminently proud of the hiding place she had found for him: Bill's people had been all over the bar and the rest of Eric's properties and hadn't found him.

Even though he'd been at Fangtasia the whole time, apparently the best place to hide something _was_ in plain sight.

Her good mood immediately dissipated when she saw the despondent look on her Maker's face.

"Eric?" she asked carefully, taking a seat beside him.

"You must really miss him," he commented.

"Who?"

"Him. The _real_ Eric." He sighed, "I am causing you too much trouble."

"You always cause me trouble," she quipped.

He raised sad eyes to look at her for a brief moment, before turning his attention back to the floor.

"I'm sorry."

"Eric, will you stop apologising?" she snapped, he looked up at her in mild shock at her outburst. "You're Eric Northman, you apologise to no one."

"Not even to you?"

Her only response was a derisive snort.

"I must not be very nice to be around," he observed.

"Eric, you're my Maker, you are _everything_ to me…" she tilted his head up to look at her, a liberty she would never have taken with 'the real Eric.' "Nothing you ever say or do is going to change that fact; I will always be here with you until you tell me to do otherwise."

"Why would I ever want to do that?" he asked before he could stop himself, he looked away from her, a little embarrassed by his comment. "If this ever gets reversed-" he began after a moment, but she cut him off.

"It will," she said firmly.

Eric looked at her sideways, "_If _this ever gets reversed, I would like to thank you now for everything you are doing for me." He held up a hand to silence her protest, "I have a feeling I would not do so were I…myself," he added with a small smile.

"No," she agreed, "you probably wouldn't."

"Well, then allow me to do so now," he said, taking her hands in his and turning to face her properly. "Thank you, Pamela," he said softly, kissing her cheek.

Pam wasn't entirely sure how to respond and she jumped slightly when he wiped away a tear she didn't know she had shed.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, pulling away from him and trying to hide any evidence of her tears.

"What are you always telling me?" he asked, she looked up at him, confused. "Stop apologising," he murmured, touching her cheek.

Pam sucked in an unnecessary breath as she wondered for the first time what she had gotten herself into.

Normal Eric she could handle, this Eric was a whole other kettle of fish.


	4. Beautiful In My Eyes

Eric paced the room with increasing unease as he waited for Pam to return.

She had refused to tell him where she was going or what she was doing, except to say that she was going to put things right. Her vague replies had only filled him with a greater sense of foreboding as he worried about what she might be facing alone.

He stopped short in his pacing as he suddenly sensed her terror and…was that horror? Before she seemed to get a grip on herself and shut him out: which only scared him more.

He was out the door like a shot.

It took him longer to find her than he had been anticipating as she seemed to be trying to avoid him, but he eventually caught up with her in the woods near Bon Temps.

"Go away," she ordered roughly, turning away from him.

"Pamela…" he began, a little wounded by her tone.

"I don't want you to see me like this," she told him.

"Like what?" he demanded, concerned.

Slowly she turned to face him and he sucked in an unnecessary breath as he took in her appearance: bloody tears streaked her face which appeared to be slowly decomposing.

"What happened to you?" he breathed, reaching out to touch her.

She jerked away from his hand, "Marnie," she spat, turning away from him.

Eric saw red.

"I'll kill her," he swore softly, his calm tone belying the white hot rage that bubbled within him.

Pam made no comment and Eric was half tempted to run off and follow through with his promise, but her almost pitiful demeanour stopped him.

He couldn't leave her. Not like this.

"I'm sorry," he told her, wrapping one arm around her shaking shoulders, "this would not have happened were it not for me."

Pam dropped her head to his shoulder, "It's not your fault," she assured him.

Eric didn't believe her, but he let her comment slide.

"I don't want anyone to see me like this," she murmured, "least of all you," she added, so quietly that he doubted he would have heard her without his superior hearing.

Eric pulled her closer to him, wrapping both arms around her tightly, "No matter what anyone says, you'll always be beautiful in my eyes," he whispered into her hair.

Pam burst into fresh tears at his comment; he planted a kiss on the top of her head as he tightened his hold on her and let her cry.

He knew enough from what he had heard from Pam and others to know that this would probably not be an action that he would be endorsing were he the same Eric Northman he had been a few days ago. But, right now, he would be damned if he didn't give Pam the comfort she so obviously needed.

He owed her that much at least.


	5. Body Crumbles

**A/N: Ah, YouTube and Wikipedia, you are my best friends; because of you I may have a few more chapters of this story up over the next couple of days :) Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad people are enjoying this - I know I'm enjoying writing it! :D Most of the dialogue for this scene was lifted directly from the show, with a couple of tweaks. Hope you enjoy!**

It had taken a lot of persuasion on Eric's part to convince Pam to return to Fangtasia and in the end he was sure he had only succeeded because he had threatened to go and force Marnie to reverse the curse.

Terrified at what the witches might do to him in his amnesiac state, Pam had agreed to return.

Now Eric sat in his office at Fangtasia waiting until Dr. Ludwig was finished with Pam. He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently; Pam had only allowed him to remain whilst the doctor was there if he promised to stay out of sight.

The wait was pure torture: his guilt over what had happened to Pam warred with his hope that Dr. Ludwig might be able to reverse the damage.

He was in the middle of trying to repair the damage he had done to the chair by gripping the armrests too tight when Pam's screams ripped through the building.

Eric burst into the room without thinking, only to find Pam lying on the table in front of a short woman he assumed to be Dr. Ludwig. His panic receded as he realised it must have been a medical procedure that had caused her screams.

"I was wondering where you were," Dr. Ludwig commented drily.

"Can you reverse the damage?" Eric demanded, not taking his eyes off Pam.

"No."

"WHAT?"

Eric ignored Pam's roar and turned to face the doctor, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not a witch," she explained, "I can't reverse curses. The best I can do is remove the outside rot; she'll still be decomposing on the inside."

"Then what the _hell_ am I paying you for?" Pam demanded.

"I can make you look pretty again," Dr. Ludwig replied blithely, "or at least what you looked like before, whatever you call that," she added.

Eric snarled at her and she took a step back despite herself, "Touchy," she muttered under her breath as she moved over to a black case to retrieve a needle.

"This will speed up the healing," she explained, pausing when she turned to find Eric hovering near Pam's prone form. "One in each buttocks, one in each arm and one in each temple," she continued, "six shots, four times a day."

"For how long?" Pam asked, relaxing slightly at the mention of some semblance of a cure.

"Forever," she replied calmly.

"For..forever?" Pam breathed in disbelief.

"I can get you a bulk discount on the shots," Dr. Ludwig continued, preparing to inject her.

Pam turned mournful eyes at Eric, who carefully gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"We'll find a cure, I promise," he told her gently.

Pam looked like she was about to say something, but the words died on her lips as she gasped from the pain of receiving her first injection.

"Five more to go," Dr. Ludwig said blithely, looking between the two vampires as she moved back to her medicine case.

She frowned to herself as she caught sight of Eric brushing a stray lock of hair off Pam's face, something wasn't quite right here but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.


	6. In Spite Of All The Danger

**A/N: I couldn't help it, I had to write more :)**

"We're closed," Pam barked later that evening, not looking up from the stocktaking she was doing behind the bar.

"I'm aware of that," Bill replied smoothly, striding into the room.

Pam swore softly under her breath, hoping Eric would have enough sense to remain in his office.

"Your Majesty," Pam drawled, giving him a winning smile, slightly marred by the damage to her face, "to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I understand you had a visit from Dr. Ludwig," he replied, returning her smile as he took a seat across from her at the bar. "She told me what happened to you, naturally I was concerned," he continued.

"Naturally," Pam agreed sarcastically.

"The Authority has authorised me to look into the threat posed by these necromancers, I trust that other than your appearance you were unharmed?" he asked.

"The same may not be said of them," she replied, Bill raised an eyebrow, "with your permission, I would like to seek my revenge," she explained, flashing her fangs.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, the Authority has commanded that there be no violence against humans," he replied, ignoring Pam as she rolled her eyes, "the penalty is the true death. I would hate to have to send you to yours," he told her.

"Is that a threat?" a voice interrupted from the back of the room, Pam closed her eyes briefly.

"Eric," Bill greeted him easily, turning in his seat to face him, "what a pleasure to see you again." Bill glanced at Pam, "I thought you said you didn't know where he was?"

"Must have slipped my mind," Pam replied with a forced smile.

"I do not know who you are, but you will leave my Pam alone," Eric warned, pulling himself up to his full height as he stepped further into the room.

Bill raised his eyebrows, "You don't know who I am?"

"Well, it was lovely having you stop by-" Pam began but was cut off when Bill suddenly grabbed her by the throat.

Before she could react, Eric had pulled Bill off her, holding him by the throat instead, "I told you to leave her alone," Eric said calmly through his fangs.

"I'll leave her alone," Bill promised, maintaining his cool despite Eric's death-grip on his neck, "if you tell me what the hell happened to you."

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Eric retorted.

"I am your king," Bill responded.

Pam wasn't sure who was more shocked: her or Bill, when Eric suddenly lowered Bill to the floor and released him. "My humblest apologies, my liege, I did not know," Eric told him, with a bow, "the witches took my memory," he continued, deferring his gaze respectfully.

"You hid this from me?" Bill hissed at Pam, flashing his fangs as he did so.

"Pam is innocent, I commanded her to protect me, she had no choice," Eric interjected hastily before Pam could respond.

"Don't you realise that he could be used as a weapon? These aren't just witches they're necromancers, they could use him to kill us all," Bill snarled at Pam.

"She had no choice," Eric reiterated firmly, Bill turned back to face him, "I will do whatever you want, but leave Pam out of this."

"Eric-" Pam started, but Bill silenced her with a look.

"You understand the punishment you will incur? That you must face the true death?" Bill asked.

Eric nodded, "I will accept my fate, but you must promise me to leave Pam alone."

Bill nodded, "I promise."

At Bill's nod two of his vampire henchmen appeared out of the shadows, "Take him," he commanded.

"No!" Pam cried, making to rush them.

"Pamela, you will not stop them," Eric commanded, stopping her dead in her tracks, "I will not be the means of your destruction," he told her as he allowed himself to be cuffed and led away.

"A pleasure as always Pam," Bill told her with a touch of unease he smiled at her and turned to leave.

"You haven't heard the last of this Bill Compton!" she promised.

Bill's only response was a small wave before he disappeared into the night.

"Damn it Eric, why did you have become so bloody noble?" Pam muttered, slamming her fist on the countertop in frustration.

There had to be a way out of this, she refused to believe that there could ever be a world in which Eric did not exist.


	7. Love The Way You Lie

**A/N: I couldn't sleep, not with Eric in prison... :P Thanks for the all the encouragement so far! Hope I don't disappoint!**

Pam took a steadying breath before she entered Bill's office, she wasn't looking forward to the interview but she knew it might be the only way that she would save Eric.

"Is there something else you would like to share with me?" Bill asked sarcastically without looking up as she entered, "Any other potentially harmful creatures you're harbouring?"

Pam refused to rise to the bait, "I need you to release Eric," she said baldly.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I'm dying," she said evenly.

That caught his attention.

"Marnie's curse has taken a stronger hold on me than I thought and I don't know how much time I have left," she continued with a show of weakness, "but I know I want to spend what is left of my time with Eric."

"Even in his current state?" Bill asked dubiously.

"He is still my Maker," she replied, "if it was Jessica, wouldn't you still wish to be with her?" she added, looking up at him through her lashes.

She could see him wavering, "Please Bill, in all the time he has been with me he hasn't once shown himself to be a danger or affected by Marnie in any other way than by his memory loss," she persisted, pressing home her advantage. "Once I am gone you may do what you will, but please, grant me this small request," she begged.

Bill regarded her with hooded eyes for a long moment, "Very well," he conceded.

Pam tried not to let her triumph show, she settled for looking relieved. "Thank you," she said meekly, ducking her head.

"Don't thank me," Bill told her coolly, "you have merely prolonged the inevitable, Eric will still meet the true death, just not tonight."

Pam looked up as Eric was ushered into the room, "Pam?" he questioned, glancing between her and Bill, "What's wrong?" he looked bewildered as the guards removed his handcuffs.

"Your child has brought you a few extra days of freedom," Bill informed him, "but this reprieve will last only as long as Pam still lives."

Eric was at her side in an instant, "You are dying?" he asked, concerned, "You can not die," he insisted, gripping her arms tightly, "I will not allow it," he whispered hoarsely, moving his hands up to cup her face.

Pam laid her own hands on top of his, "Let's go," she murmured.

Eric cast one final glance at Bill before he scooped her up and sped off.

"Now," he said, once they were once again safely at Fangtasia, "would you care to explain to me what exactly is going on?" he said, sitting down and seating Pam comfortably on his lap.

"It was the only way I could think of to get Bill to spare your life," she said simply.

"You lied to the king? That's treason," Eric said, staring at her in disbelief.

"Are you mad?" Pam asked, ashamed at how small her voice sounded but not wanting to disappoint him.

"No, impressed," he told her, "I don't think anyone has ever done so much for me before," he told her thoughtfully.

"I'd do much worse for you," she told him.

Eric pulled her a little closer, "And I for you," he told her, resting his forehead against hers.

Pam blinked back the tears that threatened to fall, wondering what was in the medicine that Dr. Ludwig gave her that made her so emotional. She refused to believe that it was in any way linked to Eric or what he had said.

Because Pamela Swynford De Beaufort did not do warm and fuzzy.


	8. Chains

"Just one more," Eric intoned gravely as he administered the last of Pam's injections.

He grimaced at her hiss of pain, he wasn't sure who suffered more during these treatment sessions: him or Pam, but there was no way he would let anyone else near her with sharp pointy objects.

"It's all over," he told her with a small smile, wiping away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb.

Suddenly his head snapped up and he growled deeply, flashing his fangs at the shadowy figure that appeared in the doorway.

"It's just me," Bill said, stepping out of the shadows and showing his palms in a gesture of peace.

Eric retracted his fangs and relaxed his defensive posture over Pam, but he still eyed Bill warily. "It has only been a day, you can not mean to take me away from my child," he said with deceptive calm.

Bill snorted softly and shook his head, "No, I have come to try and save you both," he said, dropping a bag on a nearby chair that landed with a metallic clink.

Pam scrambled into a sitting position, "By bringing silver?" she snapped, glaring at the bag.

"Antonia has cast a spell on us all," Bill explained, "you need to bind yourselves in silver, to keep you in your coffins."

Pam and Eric both stared at him as though he had grown an extra head, "You want us to wilfully bind ourselves in silver?" Pam demanded, breaking the stunned silence.

"It is the only way that you will survive the day," he told her as he stood up, "I don't have much time; I must return and see to Jessica." He gestured towards the bag, "I will leave these with you."

He made to leave but stopped at the door, "If you care for each other at all, you will do this," he said and was gone.

Pam eyed the bag Bill had left behind with distaste as Eric moved over to examine it.

"I guess I should go and get Ginger," she said, breaking the uneasy silence.

Eric caught her hand as she walked passed, "Everything will be all right, you won't face this alone," he told her seriously. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, "There's no need to be afraid."

"Who's afraid?" she retorted, earning a grin from Eric as he released her.

She returned a few minutes later with a nervous looking Ginger to find that Eric had brought up their coffins. He hovered nervously next to hers; she took his proffered hand and allowed him to help her into her coffin.

"Stay safe," he said quietly, touching her cheek before moving off.

"Eric?" he reappeared above her almost instantly, "Don't do anything stupid," she warned him.

He grinned and stepped back as Ginger came into view holding a length of silver chain.

After that, Pam knew nothing but the pain.


	9. Hold Me

All things considered, Eric decided that it could have been much worse: the pain of the silver that bound him would have been nothing compared to the pain he would have felt had Pam succeeded in her attempts to make it outside.

He still wasn't sure how she had managed to escape from her bonds, let alone out of her coffin, he was only grateful that Ginger had had enough presence of mind to foil her attempt.

He sat in one of the lounge chairs at Fangtasia, slowly healing from the silver burns; Pam curled up in his lap, sleeping against his shoulder. Being younger than him by several centuries she was exhausted from being kept awake for so long during the day, although he suspected that the curse was not helping matters.

His poor Pam.

When this was finally all over he was going to have to take her away somewhere for a well-deserved rest. Provided he remembered of course.

He suppressed a sigh.

He worried about that: worried he wouldn't remember everything that had happened to him over the last few days, worried that he wouldn't remember all that she had done for him…

"You think too much," Pam mumbled against his neck.

Eric looked down at her guiltily; he must have lost control over his emotions during his brooding and woken her. "I didn't mean to wake you," he said apologetically.

"Well you did," she grumbled, her eyes still steadfastly closed.

"Are you always this grumpy when you wake up?" he teased.

Pam made a noncommittal harrumphing noise as she snuggled deeper into his embrace, making him chuckle, "I'll take that as a yes."

Eric planted a kiss on the top of her head as he gently pulled her closer to him, just something about her closeness made him feel safe and relaxed. He could tell through their bond that she felt the same way.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, after the events of the last few days that feeling was something he felt they both needed.

Especially if it turned out that his gut was right and this was merely the calm before the storm.


	10. Shoo Shoo Baby

Eric decided that the next time he felt that things were liable to get worse; he was going to take Pam and leave.

The moment Bill stepped into Fangtasia he knew that the trouble he had been anticipating had come.

"We're going to meet with Marnie," Bill said, "I would like you both to be there when we do."

"Gladly," Pam agreed with a touch of malice.

"No," Eric said at the same time.

Pam and Bill both stared at him, "Oh, I will be there," he assured them, "but Pam will not."

"What?" Pam spat.

"You have been weakened by her curse, I will not have you putting yourself in harm's way," he told her evenly.

"We are only going there to talk, she would merely be building up our numbers," Bill started to explain, but Eric cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"It is still too dangerous," Eric insisted, "if you want me there then Pam will have to be absent."

"Agreed," Bill conceded after a long moment.

"Eric-" Pam protested, but he silenced her with a look.

"I am still your Maker, Pam, do not make me order you stay behind," he told her gravely.

Pam knew when she was beaten and crossed her arms, frowning; Eric fought back a smile at her petulant expression.

Bill looked between them and took a step towards the door, "I'll wait for you outside," he told Eric.

Eric waited until Bill was gone before he turned back to face Pam, "I know you want your revenge, but I can not risk her harming you again."

Pam raised an eyebrow, "And what about you?"

Eric gave her a cocky smile, "What was it you called me the other evening? A 'vampire god'?" he grinned, "I'm sure I'll be fine," he told her, coming to stand in front of her. "I'll be back before dawn," he promised, kissing her forehead.

Then he was gone.

Pam glared after him. He was still her Maker and she loved him, but this new nobility streak was really starting to get on her nerves.


	11. Not A Second Time

Pam nervously paced the room as she waited for Eric to return, something over the last hour or so had changed. She could feel it in their bond: something was wrong.

She looked up as Bill came into the room, "Where's Eric?" she demanded.

Bill had the grace to look contrite, "I'm afraid things did not go according to plan, Eric has been taken," he stated flatly.

Pam swore under her breath, "Was he hurt?"

"No," Bill assured her, "but he has been enthralled."

"How could you let this happen?" she demanded, "I knew he shouldn't have gone, not in the condition he was in," she muttered, more to herself than to Bill.

"We will find him," Bill assured her.

"Kill him, you mean," she retorted.

Bill did not contradict her.

"Sookie was wounded in the attack, I must go see to her," Bill said after an awkward pause.

"Sookie? What was she doing there?" Pam asked, distracted for a moment.

"Her friend Tara is somehow mixed up in all this, she doesn't want to see her get hurt," Bill explained.

Pam nodded absently, busily making and discarding plans for rescuing Eric.

"Pam," she looked up, startled by Bill's stern tone, "you will not attempt to engage the witches on your own," she pursed her lips, "as your king, I am ordering you to stay away from them."

"I'm getting awfully sick of being ordered around," Pam observed drily.

"Do not test me on this, Pam," he warned her, "I have already bent the rules for you and Eric, do not expect me to do so again," he added before turning to go.

Pam pulled a face at his retreating figure before leaning against the bar, pouting. There had to be _something_ she could do for Eric.

She had never been able to just sit idly by when he was in danger: she would find a way to help him.

Orders or no orders.

King or no king.


	12. You Always Hurt The One You Love

Pam clenched her hands together in her lap in an effort to keep from fidgeting as she sat next to Bill at the Festival of Tolerance the next evening.

Bill had convinced her to come under the pretext of her being a well-known vampire, but she suspected that he really just wanted to make sure she didn't do anything about Eric.

But, to use his words, he was merely delaying the inevitable: she _would_ find some way to save him.

She tried not to roll her eyes as Nan introduced Bill and he stepped up to the podium.

"Smile," Nan hissed as she took Bill's seat next to her.

Pam was about to say something in response when she suddenly froze, "Eric," she murmured.

Nan looked at her in concern as Sookie suddenly rushed through the crowd, calling out a warning for Bill and all hell broke loose.

Pam barely heard her as she was too busy searching the room for her Maker; she caught sight of him on a second storey balcony before he began moving at vampire speed towards the stage.

"Eric!" she cried, moving towards him.

She wasn't entirely sure what her motivation was for coming towards him when she did, but he obviously perceived her as a threat because he stopped short and hurled the silver stake he held in his hand.

As usual he struck with deadly accuracy.

He paused just long enough to ascertain that Pam was no longer a threat before he continued to close in on Bill.

Bill stood his ground and the two were soon at each other's throats, literally.

Sookie made it through the crowd just in time to see Eric gain the upper hand over Bill, she glanced around at the destruction that he had already caused and snapped.

"Enough!" she yelled, engulfing Eric in a flash of light.

He stumbled back a couple of paces as the light receded, blinking in confusion as he looked around him.

Bill was the first to recover from the shock of Sookie using her powers and leapt to his feet, a makeshift stake in his hand.

"Bill! Wait!"

The urgent tone in Sookie's voice stopped Bill in his tracks and he turned to look at her, a question in his eyes.

"I think the curse has been broken," she explained.

Bill and Sookie both turned to look at Eric, who still looked a little dazed. His eyes found Sookie's and he opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly stopped short, glancing to the side.

"Pam," he whispered.


	13. Back To You

"Pam?" Eric asked tentatively, kneeling down beside the prone form of his child.

He thanked whatever base instinct it was that made him aim for her stomach instead of her heart with the stake, disabling rather than destroying her.

Memories of their time together since her turning flooded him, all leading up to the look on her face when the stake had struck her. He gingerly reached out to touch her face.

"Touch me and I'll snap your hand off," she told him, her voice hoarse with pain as she opened her eyes to look up at him.

Eric raised an eyebrow as relief flooded him, "And here was I thinking you would be pleased to see me restored," he replied drily.

"If it had happened just a few minutes earlier I would have been over the moon," she muttered.

Eric chuckled at her sarcastic tone and took hold of the stake, ignoring the pain it caused to his hands, his gloves having been lost during the fight with Bill. "This will hurt," he warned her; yanking it free before she could respond.

Pam closed her eyes against the pain, now breathing a little easier with the stake removed as Eric tossed the stake nonchalantly away.

Behind him Bill growled, having just avoided being hit by it.

Eric smirked to himself; perhaps he hadn't been quite as nonchalant about it as he made out.

"Can you stand?" Eric asked, turning his attention back to his child as she opened her eyes again.

At her nod he helped her to her feet, keeping a steadying arm about her waist as she leaned against him for support.

Eric surveyed the damage around him before his eyes settled on Bill with a hint of amusement, "Do all the AVL events turn out like this, or just the ones you organise?" he asked pleasantly.

Bill flashed his fangs at him but otherwise ignored his comment, focusing instead on assisting Nan with damage control.

Eric grinned before turning to Sookie, "Thank you," he said sincerely, tugging Pam a little closer to his side.

"Don't mention it," she replied, "I'm glad you're ok," she added, turning to Pam.

"I'm curious, why were you here in the first place?" Eric continued.

"I went to try and help Tara, she told me what they were planning to do with you," she shrugged, "I had to do something. For Bill," she added at the look on his face.

"Ah, yes, dear William," Eric agreed with a smirk in his direction. "I must get Pam home," Eric continued, "please make my excuses to his high and mightiness."

Without waiting for Sookie's acknowledgement, he scooped Pam up and disappeared.

"How are you feeling now?" Eric asked, helping Pam to lie down in her coffin.

"I'll live," she replied, closing her eyes, "no thanks to you," she added. She gave a melodramatic sigh, "I guess I should just be pleased your aim isn't what it used to be," she teased opening her eyes to look at him.

"Well, I was aiming for your head," Eric replied in the same mocking tone.

Pam regarded him for a long moment, "Why didn't you kill me?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

...

**A/N: And now we must wait for the finale so that I can decide where to go to from here :) Thanks for your reviews, they make my day! x**


	14. For Your Eyes Only

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, real life invaded and then I had to wait for the spoiler type updates so that I could work out where to go with this. Hope you enjoy :)**

"No."

"Please, Eric."

"Absolutely not, as your Maker, I forbid it."

Bill watched the argument between Eric and Pam with faint amusement.

"That's just playing dirty," Pam retorted, glowering at him.

"It's what I do best," Eric smirked in response.

"Only because you know that otherwise you will lose," Pam muttered, ignoring the leer that had accompanied his response.

"Only because you're a woman and don't know when to let something drop," Eric replied smoothly, "you always have to have the last word."

"Look who's talking!"

"As amusing as this is," Bill cut in before Eric could respond, "dawn will be upon us soon and I really would rather eliminate the threat posed by the necromancers sometime this century."

"I am at your command," Eric replied, with only a hint of sarcasm.

"As am I," Pam piped up from behind him, Eric turned around slowly to face her. "I am not going to let you get cursed again," she told him, her bold tone belied by the way she was unconsciously backing away from him as he strode towards her.

She jumped slightly as she backed into a wall, Eric towered over her.

"You will stay here where you will be safe," Eric told her, his calm tone in direct contrast to the way he pinned her to the wall, "you are injured," he continued before she could protest. He cocked his head to the side, "Besides, how am I supposed to concentrate on not being cursed again if I am worried about your safety?" he added with a smile, tapping her on the tip of her nose as he stepped back, releasing her.

"Selfish," she muttered after a moment.

Eric grinned, "Insubordinate."

Behind them Bill shook his head, he never understood why they ended their arguments in this manner, but at least it meant that they were finished.

"Shall we?" he asked, indicating for Eric to join him.

"Bring him back in one piece," Pam called after them, "he's developed an annoying noble streak," she added.

Bill glanced back at her, confused by the reference. Beside him Eric chuckled, "Only for you my lady," he told her, turning to favour her with a mock courtly bow before they both left.

Pam watched them go, telling herself that Eric's words had meant nothing to her and that the warm, fuzzy feeling was simply her residual anger from their argument.

It was a real pity that she didn't believe it.


	15. Out Of Reach

Pam had had every intention of following Eric's orders to stay away from the fighting.

Until, that is, she'd felt a twinge of…something through their bond.

She hadn't paused to analyse it, but it had felt suspiciously like he was reaching out to her to say goodbye. She'd left within the next instant: if he wasn't dying she would kill him herself for scaring her.

She arrived just in time to see Eric and Bill facing off.

From the way Jessica was crying in the background and they both were holding their weapons, she had a pretty good idea about what was about to go down.

"Over my dead body," she muttered, grabbing the closest weapon to hand.

Eric's head snapped in her direction at the same moment that she took aim and fired.

She didn't have much time to assess the damage she had caused as her view of the scene was suddenly blocked by Eric.

A very angry Eric.

"You disobeyed me," he growled.

"I was not going to let you die," she replied.

"You could have killed her!" he roared.

"Sookie?" she whispered in disbelief, her worst suspicions confirmed.

"We will talk about this later," he told her, in a deceptively calm voice. "Leave. _Now_!" he barked when he noticed her hesitation.

Pam didn't wait to be told twice.

She cried all the way home, lamenting her foolishness in letting the last few days with him blind her to his feelings for Sookie.


	16. Cry To Me

**A/N: I don't know about anyone else, but that scene with Pam & Ginger almost made me cry. Poor Pam! Anyways, thanks for you reviews! :)**

Eric wasn't entirely sure what to expect when he returned that evening but Pam weeping on the floor, cradled in Ginger's arms, certainly wasn't it.

"Leave us," he commanded Ginger curtly.

Ginger glanced at Pam who nodded. At any other time Eric probably would have appreciated her loyalty to his child but at the moment it just annoyed him. He flicked out his fangs in warning and Ginger scampered away.

"You disobeyed me," Eric began, retracting his fangs and turning back to Pam.

Pam made no motion to stand and kept her eyes trained on the floor, "I'm sorry," she said meekly, "I just didn't want to lose you."

"What made you think that you would?" he asked, his voice still deceptively calm.

"You said goodbye," she murmured.

Eric's eyes widened a little at her comment, in what he believed were his last moments he _had_ thought of her, wishing he could see her one last time. He was shocked that she had felt it.

"It was not your place to second guess my decisions," he told her, hiding his shock.

"I don't want to lose you to Sookie," she said quietly, looking up at him.

Eric stared at her, dumbfounded, "What the f*ck has Sookie got to do with anything?" he demanded.

His phone rang before Pam could reply, "Not a good time," he muttered into the phone as he answered it.

Pam caught the sound of Bill's voice on the other line and resisted the urge to roll her eyes: Sookie again.

"I have to go," Eric said grimly after hanging up.

Pam nodded, "Of course," she agreed with a hint of sarcasm.

"We'll talk about this later," Eric promised, ignoring her sarcasm and turning to leave.

"I'll be waiting," she replied.

Eric turned back to face her, sure that the image of her sitting on the floor with a tear streaked face would haunt him for a long time.

"I will put this right," he promised, speaking more to himself than to her as he left.


	17. I Should Have Known Better

**A/N: We are now starting to deal with the finale. I would like to point out, however, that there are several things about that episode I have ignored, purely because I don't believe them to be relevant to my story (or to make sense considering the direction it has taken). Hope you don't mind and enjoy it anyway :)**

"Why do I let you get me into these situations?" Eric asked drily.

"This is not my fault," Bill protested.

"If you kept a closer eye on Sookie this wouldn't have happened," Eric grumbled.

"I see, so _now_ she's mine," Bill muttered.

"If you weren't so willing to die for her we wouldn't have to keep interfering in her affairs," Eric continued, ignoring Bill's taunt.

"I didn't hear you complaining about interfering with her in the past," Bill retorted.

"That was before," Eric stopped short.

"Before what?" Bill prompted.

Eric remained silent and Bill tried to lean around the stake they were chained to in order to see his face, "Before what?" he demanded.

"Before she ceased to be important," Eric replied cryptically.

Bill was about to press him further when Eric abruptly changed the subject, "I don't suppose you have any bright ideas about getting us out of here do you?"

"Why don't you call Pam?" Bill suggested.

"Why don't _you_ call Jessica?" Eric asked.

"Oh, so you would sacrifice my progeny but not your own, not very kingly," Eric continued in a mocking tone after a long moment.

"I liked you better when you were brain damaged," Bill said finally.

"I liked you better when I was brain damaged too," Eric replied smoothly.

Both their heads snapped up as Sookie came to join them, flanked by Tara and Holly.

"As your friend Lafayette would say, 'what goes around comes around bitches,'" Marnie-in-Lafayette's body taunted the group, coming around from the other side of the stake to meet them.

At first Eric thought that perhaps they stood a chance as they all tried to distract Marnie/Lafayette whilst Holly drew a circle around them. Until she seemed to grow sick of talking and set them both on fire.

Eric's last thought before the pain consumed him was that it was a shame he was never going to finish that conversation with Pam.


	18. She's Not You

Pam stopped short of the clearing outside Bill's house as she caught sight of Bill and Eric chained to a stake.

She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the smell of burning flesh as she watched Sookie and Tara fuss over Lafayette. She was about to step forward to do something about Bill and Eric when Eric called out to the little group: "Excuse me, we're feeling a little crispy up here."

Sookie jumped to her feet and went to free them; Pam decided she had seen enough: Eric was safe; she didn't need to see his reunion with the fairy.

Turning on her heel she took off at vampire speed, back to Fangtasia.

"Damn it, woman, will you slow down?" a voice behind her demanded before she had gotten very far.

She stopped abruptly and turned to find Eric, looking decidedly worse for wear, panting as he leant against a tree for support.

"You just took off," he said accusingly as he straightened.

Pam pursed her lips, "You looked busy."

"I'm never too busy for you," he retorted, wincing as he stiffly made his way over to her.

Pam regarded him doubtfully, "My reception last time you were in danger would seem to suggest otherwise."

"That was different; you endangered yourself by coming for me," Eric told her cupping her chin with his hand as he came level with her, "this time the danger had passed."

"I believe you objected to my endangering your fairy, not to my coming," Pam retorted.

"Because I need her alive," Eric explained, moving away from her to sit down on a nearby log.

"I am aware of what you need from her, Eric," Pam replied bitterly.

Eric chuckled and Pam gave him a dark look, "I need her alive because of her powers," he explained, "she reversed my curse I thought that she might be able to do the same for you." He paused, "These last few days made me realise something very important about Sookie Stackhouse," he admitted.

Pam waited.

"She's not you," he said simply.

Pam stared at him in disbelief, he smirked at her expression.

"And _that_, my dear, is why I was willing to die to keep her alive, so that she might be able to help you," he continued. It was his turn to give her a disbelieving look, "Surely you know by now that you are the only one I would die for."

"You're nuts," was all she could think of to say.

"Well, I have it on good authority that I was brain damaged only a short time ago so it is possible," he told her pleasantly.

"Perhaps this is just the residual effects of the curse," she suggested.

"I don't think so," he told her confidently, "I remember everything about my time with you when I was cursed and you were all I wanted or needed."

He stood up with considerable effort and rested his hands on her shoulders, "And that will never change," he told her seriously, looking into her eyes before kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Now, if you're not sick of playing nursemaid shall we go home?" he asked in a lighter tone, putting his arm around her shoulders for support.

Pam stifled a smile as she slipped her arm around his waist, "As long as you don't turn out to be as difficult as my last patient."

"Oh?"

"He kept telling me he loved me, but I think just wanted to have his way with me," she said airily.

"Oh, undoubtedly," he replied easily. "I'm afraid I can't promise not to do the same," he added.

Pam smirked, "Who was asking you to?"

The sound of their laughter echoed behind them as they disappeared into the darkness.

...

**A/N: And that, my friends, is how _I_ think the Season 4 Eric/Pam story arc should have gone (or something like it anyway). Thanks for reading! x**


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